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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28043034">“Mr. Blue Sky please tell us why you had to hide away for so long.”</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MxThmxNn/pseuds/MxThmxNn'>MxThmxNn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Awkward Keith (Voltron), Awkward Lance (Voltron), Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance Runs Away, Langst, M/M, Not Beta Read, Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Season 3, Some Fluff, Songfic, canonverse, klance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:48:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,453</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28043034</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MxThmxNn/pseuds/MxThmxNn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A langst story that Lance himself isn't even in for the first huge chunk of the story.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Lance (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sun is shinin in the sk- wait</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>AO3 user MxThmxNn is alive???? They're actually writing langst again??? Quite a shock.<br/>(Alright, sorry for falling off the face of the planet and starting stories I can't finish for the umpteenth time so take this as an apology. It was for that weird Julance fic thing I was trying to do, but It's obviously not July anymore so I'll post it separately since it's too long to be a oneshot (at least for me). The song is Mr. Bluesky by the Electric Light Orchestra. Let's hope I keep this one going lmao.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s odd,” Coran said, tugging at his moustache. “A pod dispatched in the middle of the night,” He continued, tapping away at the console.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well it isn’t me this time,” Keith muttered. He looked around at his teammates, it was obvious something was off. Though, he couldn’t quite place it. “Could it be the princess?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, Allura’s helping the mice clean the vents,” Pidge answered. She stepped over and peeped over Coran’s shoulder. “Excuse me,” she said, sliding over to the main monitor. Everyone waited a few seconds as she rolled through the cameras, tracking the heating systems, etc. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, has anyone seen Lance?” Hunk asked casually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The team immediately reacted to the Yellow Paladin’s remark. “Lance!” They shouted in unison.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pidge typed with more haste, pulling up any monitors in the hallways between Lance’s room and the pods. “There’s no change in the heat signatures within the last two vargas! They had to be disabled,” She said, eyes widening with horror.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Disabled?” Keith scoffed. “Lance is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> smart enough to disable those things.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hunk went over to his control center, pulling up his own data. He looked through all of his information on the heating systems on the materialized screen. “This is bad,” He announced. “It does look like someone changed the settings on the sensors in that hallway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s no way someone could’ve cracked the password to those,” Coran boasted. “It’s a very complex Altean code translated into numbers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The team went into a frenzy trying to figure out who or what tampered with the system when the princess entered the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed, and adjusted a strand of hair that fell from her bun. “What is the meaning of this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Princess,” Pidge greeted. “A pod launched in the middle of the night and all of the cameras and heat detectors in the hallway from our rooms all the way to the pod bay have been disabled.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We think Lance is missing,” Hunk interrupted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Allura exclaimed. “We can deal with the system breach later, somebody needs to go check on Lance. We just recovered losing Shiro, we cannot do this again.. Paladins, you may go,” She ordered. “Coran and I can figure this out together,” Allura said, shocked at the lack of common sense in the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith, Hunk, and Pidge immediately got up from their spots and started bolting down the halls to where the rooms were. They were all slightly embarrassed they didn’t think to do this sooner.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe we didn’t think of this sooner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Paladins lined up in front of Lance’s door, third down in the corridor. Hunk was first. He stepped forward and rapped lightly on the metal. “Lance, buddy,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dude, he’s not in there,” Keith said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean he could be-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Connect the dots, man. There’s no surveillance from here all the way down to the pods. Y’know from </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lance’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> room. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> is literally nowhere to be found as of now,” The Black Paladin explained. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door opened with a faint click. Pidge clearly had no time for her comrades’ arguing and simply opened the door to the room. Light poured in from the outside into the dark room. “Are you guys coming?” She called. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hunk and Keith exchanged a brief look and followed behind the shorter Paladin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lance never turns the lights off in here, ever,” Hunk said, flicking the switch on. “And, there’s no sign of Lance,” He said, processing the image of the still bedroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pidge pulled the cover off his bed, checked under it, and checked inside the closet. No Lance. She reluctantly sat back down onto the bed and exhaled deeply. “What are we going to tell Allura now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” Hunk by this point was a nervous wreck, biting at the edges of his fingers. “Any ideas, Keith?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but look,” The team leader said, pointing down at the case of Lance’s armor. “His suit’s still here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He left without his suit! That’s so dangerous,” Hunk muttered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And stupid,” Pidge added.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Classic Lance,” Keith finished the thought. The teen pressed down on the lock to Lance’s case to access his suit. The latch relented and revealed the neatly folded fabric and perfectly arranged armor and helmet. Keith squatted down to get a closer look. Pidge and Hunk watched Keith carefully dig through Lance’s stuff to find something under his helmet. “A note,” He said plainly. “We should take this to Coran and Allura before reading it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The team gave each other affirming looks before getting up and running single file out the door and to the main deck of the ship.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Mr. Team Leader,” Hunk giggled, Pidge stifling a laugh as she ran behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hunk,” Keith said with a threatening tone, running in front of the duo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t help myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The trio returned to Coran and the Princess, breathing heavily. Keith jogged over presenting a note to Allura.  “This is all we could find in his room.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s alarming considering Coran and I haven’t found any other signs of him, so he really must’ve left,” She replied worriedly, gently taking the piece of paper and unfolding it. She took a few seconds to process Lance’s limber script. “I can’t read this,” She said quickly before handing back to Keith. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I, should’ve known that,” he stammered before accepting the note. His eyes scanned down the paper as his face quickly expressed brief discomfort with what was written on the page. Keith looked at the anticipating faces around the room waiting for him to read it before clearing his throat. “It says,” he paused. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You don’t have to go looking for me or anything. You guys can find a different Red Paladin, or Shiro, or something. It’s not like you’re going to miss me. Lance</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” He read. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s it?” Pidge gasped, her concern increasing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Keith said before resuming reading the letter. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>P.S. Hunk shouldn’t leave his cheat sheets in the engine room unattended. That password was a real pain in the ass to type btw.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And he put a stupid smiley face at the end,” Keith said, finishing the contents of the note. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s a dilemma. The Galra Empire is terrorizing the universe as we speak and we’re now down </span>
  <em>
    <span>two</span>
  </em>
  <span> Paladins!” Coran wailed, exasperated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is terrible!” Hunk said with equal frustration. “I guess we could just form a snake or something, right guys?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Where did we go wrong?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There he is!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Team Voltron was put into a massive disarray. The next phoebe was spent begging the coalition to look for Lance, or any sign of a basic Altean transit pod lost within orbit. This was a detriment, battle after battle, they could barely make it out alive, requiring massive amounts of backup to keep small Galran fleets at bay. A catastrophe was playing out before their very eyes. Galaxy after galaxy, any scans for humanoid lifeform remotely similar to Lance came up negative. It was a losing battle. Eventually, they just gave up looking for him entirely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think we’re done for?” Pidge groaned, blankly as the ship slowly docked onto a quiet planet with barely any inhabitants. The Galra have not landed on this planet due to the lack of resources for the empire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t talk like that, Number Five,” Coran said reassuringly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s the point! We can’t form Voltron! All of us are physically wrecked! And three more planets just retracted from the quiznacking coalition!” She shouted, removing her glasses. Tears began collecting at the corners of her eyes and dripping onto her keyboard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pidge,” Keith said assertively. “Take a break. Hunk, Allura, and I will see if they have anything they need us to do so you can stay here-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. I have to be there- what if,” The Green Paladin said defiantly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m the head of Voltron, and that’s my singular order for you. You’ve been crunching numbers way too hard and it’s best if you just take a break.” Pidge nodded solemnly. Keith looked around at the crew and saw the exhaustion in their faces. He took in another deep breath and sighed. “All of you, take a break.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keith! That decision is too impulsive, we need to be diligent especially if the Galra find us. There’s no way we could just stay here and lollygag,” Allura responded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, then stay on standby, train, whatever. The population of this planet is small enough that I can run the requested errands on my own. Is that good with you?” Silence. “I’m taking that as a yes. Keith put his helmet on and ran off to the drop port where he descended onto the sandy surface of the Planet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He used his jetpack to speed up going to the edge of the civilization’s limits. The atmosphere was calm and stoic, not a raging space-storm in sight. Keith was greeted by an elder official at the gate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Welcome Paladins,” he paused. “Paladin of Voltron- aren’t there supposed to be five of you?” He asked in a shrill voice. The small bug-like man retracted his hand briefly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith cleared his throat and removed his helmet, soaking in the heat from the air. “Well, yes, but we’re down a Paladin, we’ve been for almost a decaphoeb and everyone else is resting as we are simply overworked from our inability to form Voltron and countless hours of negotiation,” He stated as formally as he could, trying his best to mimic Shiro. “I, Keith, as the leader took it upon myself to help deal with those problems you called us for,” He explained, looking down anxiously at the alien. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The little man shuffled around in deliberation before looking back up to Keith. “Well, it seems our issue with those birds have been resolved. But you may stay for a bit, bring back something for your team, but-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But what?” Keith responded hesitantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You must gain approval from our patron before we permit you to enter our city.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just within the gates lay an ornate building. The city was constructed in a simplistic yet open manner so this monument at the edge was rather contrasting as all of its walls were sealed off. Two small guards protected its doors. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You must enter alone,” the bug man said as he gave a signal to the guards. “He must not be overwhelmed by several presences.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith, a man of little words simply walked up to the doors and waited for the guards to pull them open. A slight breeze welcomed him as he walked into the silent temple. It was exceedingly simple on the inside, an ornate table with plates at the side, a window facing the city and a large chair in the middle. Presumably where this planet’s “patron” was sitting with his back to the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can leave your offerings at the steps,” A familiar voice cooed boredly. A slender hand rising over the edge of the sofa and pointing at the steps just in front of the Black Paladin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” Keith said. “I don’t have any offerings, I’m Keith, a paladin of Voltron. I was told I needed to get permission from you, or something, before I enter the city.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Voltron</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” The patron whispered. “Dismissed, leave, get out!” He shouted with an impatient tone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith pinched the bridge of his nose and approached the steps. “Listen, I-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. Get out, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mullet</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I don’t want Voltron anywhere near my planet.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith froze in place, as he listened to the words echo off the plain stone walls. “Lance?” Keith walked nearer to him. His footsteps clearly putting Lance on edge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young man finally turned around and popped his head over the backboard of the chair. His face had some paint on it and from his ears hung little gold earrings. He wore a loose blue robe. He locked his eyes straight onto Keith’s with disgust. “How many times do I have to request you to leave? But I see you haven’t changed, never listening to me,” He replied sharply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Paladin rested his hands on his hips and leaned over. “Lance you </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to come back to Voltron. The coalition is failing day by day, we haven’t even found a replacement for you and the empire is hot on our trail. We’re going to get wiped out!” Keith exclaimed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance let out a laugh. “Ha! Me? Come back to Voltron? Are you fucking joking me, Keith?” His face immediately slumped back into a neutral expression. “Why would I want to go back? I mean, look at me! I crashed a pod into this nowhere planet half-dead and they treat me like a god! I get my peace and quiet, whatever I want, I’m the most popular guy in town. All of that for being tall and good looking; Voltron can do nothing for me but bring terror and destruction,” He stopped to turn his back to Keith. “I’ve accepted I wouldn’t die or live a hero under Voltron so here I am.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guys, I found Lance,” Keith whispered into his radio. The paladins chattered on the line as they prepared to see their old friend again. “Everyone will be here in less than five minutes, so it’s your call. You can pull your little military on us but what would that do, Lance?” Keith watched Lance rise from his seat and storm over to Keith, his gold sandals clicking on the floor. He stood maybe a foot from Keith and stared straight at him, arms delicately crossed over one another, creasing the smooth fabric of his garment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s such a nice day outside. People are calm and having fun in our little settlement, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> ruining all of that fun. Now get out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re acting like a little kid, can’t you take anything seriously?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t need to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keith.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Runnin' Down the Avenue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The two stared at each other intensely and waited until a knocking on the doors came about. Keith could to nothing but hold eye contact with Lance until the door behind him flew open. Pidge, Hunk, and Allura stood behind Keith, after seemingly convincing the elder and both guards to let them in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance’s face contorted into a stiff frown, not excited to see his old team in the slightest. “Oh, fantastic!” He groaned comically. “As if today couldn’t get </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> worse.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lance, you’re coming with us,” Pidge stated, holding her bayard heroically. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed,” Allura continued. “I’ve managed to speak to the elder official of this settlement, and he’s allowed us to take you in exchange for several years of protection.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance’s eyes shifted over to the jittering old man behind Hunk, his glare striking fear into him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-High Patron, had we known you were Lance of Voltron, we would’ve returned you sooner. We owe much to Voltron and Princess Allura,” He explained, still fearful of Lance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you kidding! You guys blew my cover!” He exclaimed. “Whatever, there’s nothing I can do now,” Lance sighed, admitting defeat. He raised his wrists to the Paladins, expecting handcuffs. He walked forward and down the steps into Voltron’s custody. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The reunited team walked back over to the Castle of Lions, which was perched a mere kilometer from the city limits. The very second everyone got into the castle was interrogation time. The genuine unrest caused by Lance’s seven-month absence was showing. Lance was swept by the mob into the nearest chair, his robe crumpling under him.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then the slew of questions came: The obvious “Why’d you leave?” The “How’d you survive?” Of course the classic “What’s with the outfit?” And so on. The four overlapping voices made it difficult for Lance to answer efficiently. When everyone else noticed that, the questionnaire came to a halt as everyone looked at each other with embarrassment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, buddy, we just miss you a lot,” Hunk stated, resisting the urge to give the captive a hug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Clearly</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Lance replied resentfully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another second of silence passed to let the Paladins decide who should speak first. A couple of quick glances and nods gave Allura the floor. She stepped to the front and looked down at Lance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, the answer we’ve all been waiting for; Why did you run away?” She asked. Lance squirmed a little in his seat, smoothing his garment and avoiding the answer. “Come on, we haven’t got all day.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance scooted around in his seat to confront the princess again, keeping his head bowed down. The presence of everyone staring at him patiently weighing down his shoulders. He parted his lips to speak, but hesitated. “I just, I just don’t think you guys need me. I barely had a purpose other than to form Voltron and I had a feeling you guys would find Shiro by now. If you guys still thought he was out there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You always had a purpose here,” Keith responded sternly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No I didn’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lance-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is not the time to be arguing,” Hunk interjected. He placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder to keep him back. The Black Paladin paused and accepted, stepping back a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue-eyed boy looked around the room a little before determining it was clear to continue speaking. “I was tired of being the team’s punching bag. And don’t try to argue with me, you all know I was. Made fun of, blamed for </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>, left behind, all of that was on me. And it wasn’t even just you guys,” He confessed. “Everyone we meet, it’s always Lance is the dumb one, what does he do? or Take him, him being me, out first because he’s the easy target. They say that like I can’t hear them. So I just decided to leave.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another uncomfortable silence filled the room. Everyone staring at their old friend Lance. Or, the godly patron of planet literally in the middle of nowhere. Disinterest in his old companions were imprinted onto his face, half-lidded and an annoyed furrow in his brows. He sat resting his cheek in the palm of his hand, pressing the pattern of gold chain jewelry into tanned skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’m getting the elephant in the room out of the way,” Pidge started impulsively. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>How</span>
  </em>
  <span> the hell were you able to manage a fucking escape plan?” The Green Paladin threw her arms up with utter curiosity. “You really know how to disappear,” she stated, leaning into Lance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy in the chair let out another unamused sigh and shifted in his seat. “Why? Is it because I was too stupid for you all to think I could pull off a plan like that?” He asked sharply, staring back at the Paladins. He watched as Pidge’s face dropped and he saw a the faintest twitch of her eyelid behind the glare in her glasses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I meant.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure It’s not.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room grew heavier yet again. It had been quite a while since they accepted Lance back into their arms. Why wasn’t he back to being the Lance they knew. That Lance was a bubbly, bad joke telling, loverboy, who despite his flaws held everyone together. But it was clear this wasn’t him. The Lance in the chair’s aloof personality didn’t slip or budge for a second. His original personality wasn’t leaking out from under his mask of glamour and godlike looks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want me to confess my great escape or not?” Lance asked the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A desperate “Yes” from the team escaped in unison. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The former Blue Paladin clicked his tongue and began to recall the day before he spilled every detail he could remember about that fateful day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Months ago, Lance sits in his room alone after another long training night. He decided to skip dinner for the fourth time this week, but it wasn’t anything new. The boy was hard at work, scribbling on a page in his diary. This wasn’t some love letter to a girl he saw on a mission, this was his best copy of the castle’s floor plan. He couldn’t read the Altean so he had to memorize what was where on his routine cleaning of every deck. Sure, Coran got suspicious why Lance suddenly took an interest in mopping every single area of the castleship, but he was probably blinded by the boy’s eagerness to actually do his chores. In reality, he followed along with a copy of the floor plan that Pidge had previously burned into a device. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Day by day in his weekly cleaning he’d survey the floors and scribbling them into his diary. Tonight, his map was complete. Everything had seemed to be falling straight into his hands for once. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a content laugh to himself. “Point Lance!” He said, finalizing the sketch. Tired eyes and shaky hands for an entire phoeb and four quintants was worth it. He was finally complete with his plans to run away. No more worries, no more Voltron, no more stupid, annoying Lance getting in everyone’s way. He would just be a memory in everyone’s mind, and an impressive one at that. Something that’d leave them scratching at their heads being unable to fathom his intelligence and success. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance let himself lament a little longer, making sure he wasn’t going to chicken out. He remembered a couple fond thoughts here and there, but at the end of the day, he knew he had to do this. Leaving was the only release from responsibility. He knew traveling light was his only option so he decided to leave anything behind except for his diary. Clutching it in his arms, the boy swiftly snuck out of his room without anything but the book and the clothes on his back. He managed to disable the hallways’ heat sensors so getting away was a breeze. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Down the corridor, a left at the hallway, two left turns at the bathroom, and down the stairs. These directions came easy to him, even with the dim castle lighting. Lance ensured his footfalls were light if he wasn’t about to get caught. A chill shot up his spine when he got to the door of the pod bay. His reward for getting through the labyrinth of the castleship.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance extended his hand to the door, watching as a faint blue glow traced his fingers. He gave it a push and it slid open. It gave him a nice </span>
  <em>
    <span>whoosh</span>
  </em>
  <span> of air and his eyes stung when the lights turned on. The pod bay was even colder than the rest of the castle, of course its proximity to the outside vacuum of space was why. Even more chills clawed at his back, his jacket doing very little to help. It felt like a warning, the air trying its best to pull him back and away from the escape vessels. But why would he decide to stop now? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still holding on to the beat up notebook, Lance boarded the nearest pod. He climbed up the ladder on the side of the spacecraft and jumped into the open hatch. His feet landing unsteadily on the metal floors and he lost his balance. He couldn’t regain his balance fast enough before the rest of him also made its way onto the floor of the escape pod. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit-” he whined, still doing his best to stay as quiet as possible. He pulled his torso back up so he could glare at his diary for not breaking his floor (as if it would do much if it did). He waited for the air to still again, until his breaths were the only noise above the faint whirring of the castle’s engines.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> He looked around the inside of the escape vessel: It was nice to say the least. Around the size of a standard Garrison unit, though the space was nothing like the cockpit of a Lion. There was room for two, maybe three people, but one was obviously most optimal. To the side of the center console were rations of bagged liquid, probably Altean water and a few containers of food goo, although being unused for 10,000 years would render them at least a little expired.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance walked himself over to the pilot’s seat and dropped himself into it, the scoop of the chair supporting his back nicely. He buckled the rigid safety harness over his lap and the expanse of his chest, holding him firmly in the seat. The boy was now a master of figuring out alien crafts and started the engine with the turn of a dial. The hatch of the pod shut with a creak, sealing in all the breathable air. The floor under the ship began to rise at an incline as the ceiling unfolded into the  blackness of space, this area barely littered with stars. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His blood began rushing to his extremities as the change in pressure start to hit Lance at a rapid pace. He revved the engine a couple more times before taking the pod’s steering mechanism and pushing the aircraft forward and into space. His eyebrows began knitting together in concentration as he finally exited the castle. This was everything he’d wanted when he was in the Galaxy Garrison aviation program. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A pilot</span>
  </em>
  <span>.  Sure, he was already a pilot, flying Blue </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> Red would definitely render him a pilot in the Garrison’s ranks, but that was different. He was a universal hero, a fighter, an intergalactic representative, and all these other things above bein a pilot. Sitting alone in space, cruising through the stars, nobody to criticize or scrutinize his (very improved) flying technique. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first few hundred miles away from the ship were total bliss for him. Calm, quiet, no more nagging, insulting, fighting, just a boy in space. And he was doing alright, that is, until something caused his heart to skip a beat. A pain struck his chest and when he closed his eyes a familiar low purr filled his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” The Red Lion had always had a strong connection to its Paladin, bonding immediately and intensely with whoever it chooses. This was the one thing Lance forgot in his perfect, perfect plan. He remembered how when Keith tried to run away using this same method, Red immediately jumped to get him and Allura. If Red came to pick him up from his little voyage, he would have to explain what all </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> was to the team. (Which he’d end up doing anyways.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance couldn’t have this. He couldn’t have that happening. He had to sever his connection to the Red Lion. He stopped the ship in the middle of a debris belt some odd miles in the middle of nowhere and powered the engine down. If anyone came by this area, they’d believe this ship suspended in rocks and space matter was just part of all the decomposing junk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ex-paladin sucked in a shallow breath and shut his eyes tightly. His muscles tensed up in the seat and he began retreating into his head. There he stood in the middle of his brain, being stalked by the Red Lion, like prey. It’s purring grew louder as Lions were created to look out for their Paladins, but Lance didn’t want to be looked after, he needed to disappear, and leave Voltron behind him. He felt his face twisting as he concentrated on drowning out Red. He did everything. Surrounding him with the sounds of a storm, or the raging ocean. The Lance in his mind began to drown along with the sound of Red’s purring. His chest began heaving and it was now much more difficult to breathe, but he kept putting distance between her sound and himself. And just kept drowning until he just couldn’t hear her anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he opened his eyes he noticed his entire body was accordingly drenched in sweat. His hands were shaking and he was breathing a lot more than he should before his air gets totally recycled and unbreathable. But he did it, the presence of his former lion no longer loomed over his head and he was ready to continue his travels to God knows where. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You disconnected from Red?” Keith exclaimed defensively. His dark stare burning holes into Lance. Sure, he flew the Black Lion now, but he was still protective of his old ride. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why do you care, Mullet?” Lance shot back, arms crossing over his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lion first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance and Keith continued arguing and for a second it felt like Lance had never left. The whole team putting up with their attacks on each other. However, the insult spewing dragged on for a little too long until Allura intervened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boys!” She started. “It seems like you two are back on your old habits, but please, Lance needs to finish explaining himself.” Allura’s crystal blue eyes locked onto Lance’s sternly. The boy in the chair turned his head way from Keith and towards her. His lips curled into a smirk, the makeup around his lips cracking ever so slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a final chuckle. “See, Keith, you interrupted my story. Thank you princess.” He said with a smug tone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith scowled at Lance, sucking the back of his teeth before giving Lance a final angered look before turning away.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. I'll remember you this way</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A random little break for some klance being idiots</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>By now, everyone had taken a seat of some kind, this story was longer than they’d expected. Everyone, of course, except for Keith who insisted he had to stand. His knees were starting to lock but the rigid armor of his suit held him up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Never able to sit still, Lance kept shifting in the chair he was dropped into. It pushed into his spine and provided very little cushion. Lance was no longer used to the practical furniture of the Castle of Lions, a longing for his seat in the temple festered at the back of his mind, but there was nothing he could do. He should keep talking to the team about his disappearance but he couldn’t stop squirming around. The way the thin fabric of his robe stuck closely to his skin with sweat became uncomfortable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I go change?” Lance asked. “Seriously, this robe is sticking in places you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do not</span>
  </em>
  <span> want me to explain.” The remarks he elicited from his former crewmates was warranted. As they have neglected to make him feel at home, as they were letting him back home. “I can just go change into my suit, my other clothes are god knows where.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hunk and Pidge exchanged looks with Allura and Keith. A silent conversation went on between the four briefly before the Yellow Paladin propped himself up on his elbows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I’m okay with that,” he said nonchalantly, his eyebrows raised. He promptly rolled back over, resuming his former position on the floor next to Pidge. She was hunched over, sitting with her computer balancing on her knees, probably taking notes or playing an idle game. “He’ll probably be more comfortable telling the story if he’s wearing comfy clothes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But what if he just uses it as an excuse to run?” Keith interrogated. “He doesn’t want to be here, why wouldn’t he.” The Black Paladin uncrossed his arms, resting one at his hip and the other pointing straight at Lance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The words spilling from his lips struck another chord inside Lance. One that was pointed and sour-sounding. His heart started beating a little faster and his eyes started stinging. Of course Keith of all people wouldn’t trust him. Whatever little rivalry they had, whatever professional relationship the held for Voltron’s sake was only there to hold the team together. But deep down, Lance always had a fear that all of that was because Keith truly hated him. A single look was enough to cause the other man boiling anger. The Paladins were talking to one another but Lance wasn’t paying attention to anything they were discussing, they weren’t talking to him anyways. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe Keith is right,” Allura started. “I think it’s important someone go with Lance.” The princess looked over at the runaway with a pity smile. “Of course, just to make sure you’re safe and don’t try to escape again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Allura looked around at the tired bunch of Paladins once again. She gave each of them a calculating look trying to decipher who should accompany Lance. Everyone was wiped and half asleep and it would be inappropriate for her and </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially </span>
  </em>
  <span>Coran to go with him. Her sight stopped at Keith, he was already standing up anyways. “Keith, you should escort Lance to his room,” She commanded. Her voice was confident, not deadly serious but she insisted it should be him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keith?” Lance shouted. “How do I know he’s not going to try and kill me or something?” Lance went slack-jawed with shock. Why couldn’t it have been Allura, or even Hunk for that matter? It </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be the one person who he knew hated him most. His dry eyes turned to Keith at the corner of the room. He hoped to see a sign of protest from the older Paladin. Maybe a scowl or a complaint, but he stood there stoically. A serious look on his face, nothing more, he even seemed a little relaxed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith’s lips parted slightly and he started to respond. He hesitated but abruptly reconfirmed his choice. “Alright,” he said robotically. “Lance, let’s go.” Keith nodded his head towards the stairway to the main floor of the castle. After all, excitement caused the team to barely make it into the ship before they started questioning. He extended his hand out to Lance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The (former?) Red Paladin hesitated before accepting his hand. He set his own into Keith’s palm, looking away, slightly annoyed. The team leader wrapped his hand firmly around Lance’s pulling him up as he began to stand. Yards of blue fabric flowed down to the floor, hanging loosely around Lance’s waist. The silk-like fabric was creased awkwardly from spending at least a half a varga sitting in that chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Lance muttered softly, unable to look at Keith. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem,” he answered back, he wasn’t able to look Lance in the eyes either. At least not when he was this close by. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The duo walked off from the group and started up the steps. Keith in the classic armor and Lance in his fancy robe. Pidge let out a whistle from behind them and both boys snapped their heads back to give her a glare, neither liking what she was implying.  The Green Paladin only responded by sticking her tongue out at Lance and giving a quick giggle. Allura began to scold her but it wasn’t any concern to the duo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the top of the staircase Keith quickly realized he was still holding onto Lance’s hand. He pulled his away with a shocked look on his face. Lance noticed as well and he jumped a little to his left. The two looked at each other briefly, a heavy blush on both of their faces, equally embarrassed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, not it’s fine-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You sure?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if Lance’s heart wasn’t already racing from the confrontation, Keith holding his hand wasn’t helping. Lance was so sure Keith hated him, but how he absentmindedly just </span>
  <em>
    <span>held his hand</span>
  </em>
  <span> opened up a door of feelings neither him nor Keith were about to walk through. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The adolescent in blue adjusted the fabric as it was sitting awkwardly against his body before he initiated the trip down to his room. Keith silently followed behind him, still trying to process whatever the fuck just happened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The walk wasn’t very long but long enough to make the silence between the two awkward. Lance wasn’t entirely sure Keith was still behind him, the clicking of his sandals halted in front of the door. The air around it was still as it had been left unbothered since the day after he left the castle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance turned quickly to see the outline of Keith’s unruly hair behind him, resting against the pillar adjacent of his door.  “You following me in or?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith cleared his throat. “Is there any reason you would want me not to?” He asked calmly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How was he this damn calm?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance let out a disgruntled yelp before answering. “What, do you like, want to follow me in? Are you just trying to get a look at my ass or something, Keith?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>What kind of question was that?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lance began to panic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith scoffed and rolled his eyes, looking off into the hallway. “No.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance's hear stilled slowly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever,” Lance answered, struggling to get the handle on his door to turn. Space dust had collected in the knob and settled, making it slightly more difficult to turn. It finally turned enough to unlock and Lance was greeted with the familiar air of his room. A faint ocean perfume wafted into his nose and a sudden feeling of home flooded his senses. The room was dark but he knew it so well, his suit in its case, his desk undisturbed, but his bed- “Keith, who the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span> took the sheets off my bed like that?” Lance yelped in exasperation, flailing his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A low giggle bubbled up from behind his head. Keith’s laugh echoed off the walls The Black Paladin walked up behind the Patron, placing a hand on his bare shoulder. “Pidge did that when we were looking for you the day you left.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She didn’t bother to put it back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was urgent,” Keith replied. He let out a brief laugh And followed Lance through the doorway. The room that was once still and undisturbed suddenly snapped back into the present when Lance walked in. Keith flipped on the light switch and watched Lance jolt with shock, his earrings swaying back and forth. “Sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘S okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had just felt right to walk into the room with Lance. Keith hadn’t realized that maybe Lance didn’t want him in there and there was no way for him to run, but again, it felt right. Lance took a couple graceful steps to go pick up his suit from its case on the floor. He felt a presence on his back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keith, are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re not in here to do something perverted?” He snipped. The feeling on his shoulder blades dissipated as Keith turned his head away. In all reality, he was just blankly staring into the distance but he just picked up on what Lance just interpreted from him.  Lance heard a couple awkward steps as Keith made his way to the opposite corner of the room, facing the wall. “Dude, I’m joking, it’s not like we used to do this every day, changing in front of each other,” He followed, cold facade slipping away for just a second. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith didn’t say a word while Lance was disrobing. He let the blue silk crumple on the floor in a pool around his feet as he stepped partially into the black undersuit. The alien material had the memory of his figure bent into it and it still fit like a glove. Lance pulled the fabric up over his body and did his best to zip himself back up in it-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The zipper caught at the small of his back and he was unable to pull it back up, his arms not quite reaching the pull. A few seconds of swatting at his shoulder blades and he decided to break the silence. “Keith? Can you- argh- get this for me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith cleared his throat and rested his hands on his hips, still facing the blank wall. “I guess,” he said dryly. He turned on his heels to walk over to the struggling young man at the other side of the room. “The zipper right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Obviously,” Lance whined. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Keith pinched at the fabric right under the metal pull and used his other hand to guide the zipper up to Lance’s neckline. (He will permanently deny that he blushed a little being so close to Lance’s body after all this time.) “There you go,” Keith started, “but you shouldn’t get too comfortable and we’re not waiting on you hand and foot, </span>
  <em>
    <span>High Patron,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Keith mocked. He’d hope this little jab would make the situation less awkward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ha!” Lance wheezed. “Where was this energy when I actually was the Patron of this planet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As if I’d ever call you anything like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Classic Keith.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Classic Lance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bickering had resumed for another couple minutes as Lance pulled the white metal armor over his suit. And for a moment, the hatred he used to sense from Keith disappeared. Like he didn’t see him as a genuine nuisance and he</span>
  <em>
    <span> enjoyed</span>
  </em>
  <span> their squabbling and companionship instead of considering it a sobering obligation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance clicked his belt on and they were ready to go. He was back in his old uniform, as if he’d never even left. Except for the makeup he could wash off later and jewelry adorning his fingers and earlobes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lance and Keith had completed their awkward little voyage back to Lance’s room and had descended down the staircase with efficiency. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s our Lance!” Hunk greeted warmly, his eyes lighting up to see his best friend as his best friend again. He was laying at the center of the floor, the five little space mice perched on his chestplate, entertaining the team. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looking sharp!” Coran remarked, sizing Lance up like an opponent. The mustached man bobbled around in his spot energetically, though not actually going anywhere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance let out an awkward pity laugh and walked back to his chair. It was much more comfortable without the bunchy robe. He let himself relax a little, posture drooping and his leg slung over the armrest. He took in a breath and waited for silence, prepared to tell the rest of his peculiar getaway story. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. On the streets where once was pity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>TW// Emetophobia/ vomiting</p><p>Space adventure, it's an adventure in space</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I bet you need me to tell you how I got here, yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lance, that’s the whole point,” Pidge snapped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance gave her a dirty look, unused to discourtesy. “Fine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten “days” (if Lance could even call them that) out from the castle, the regret began to sink in. Not sleeping rendered his mind a horribly dangerous place, and his body became stiff in the chair. But Lance kept flying, out in the middle of space, absolutely nowhere. Nobody to talk to, no end destination, </span>
  <em>
    <span>but no responsibility</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The former paladin clicked his tongue behind his teeth as he hit a rather large piece of debris that his dry eyes seemed to miss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck!” He yelped, the word clawing its way out of his mouth from the pit in his stomach. The small vessel tipped upwards, nearly flipping over. The metal screeched on impact and there was definitely more than a scratch on it. Lance’s hands furiously attempted to steer the pod back to its upright position but failed. He nearly tore the poor handle out of the console. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ship flipped itself over and the pressure began to rush to Lance’s head. He had no suit to regulate it for him and he swore he was about to puke. The cold began to work its way under his lifted shirt, causing full body shivers that went straight to his bone. His eyes peeled open slightly when the shaking stopped and he could get the pod to roll back over. He sloppily pushed at the buttons on the control panel and looked out at the empty expanse of space.  He let himself get dizzy as the world flipped upright again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stupid metal,” he mouthed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The escape pod seemed to be stable enough despite its damage. Lance deduced that maybe taking a rest here didn’t seem so bad. He undid the safety belt holding him in and immediately fell as he tried to stand up. His hips and knees had locked in their sitting position and emitted a crunching noise when he did finally rise. A mouthful of the dusty metal floor was not the first thing he wanted to eat and the spot where he landed immediately began to bruise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The teen desperately tried to stand back up again, the purring of the engine under his feet. He took a hand to the sore spot on his face and walked over to the opposite side of the ship where he’d discarded his journal on the floor. It laid open on a random page somewhere in the middle with half of its pages creased with abandon as it had been left to flop around in the back of the ship.  He walked right past it over to the rations he never bothered to open. Lance ran on pure adrenaline up until this point and it showed. The pang of hunger he got seeing the food was evidence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He feverishly opened the containment unit and let all the little packets inside spill out at his feet. He quickly picked up one of the little bags of water and raised it to his lips. He ignored the enclosed straw on the side and bit straight into the bag. Liquid poured from the crude incision made by his teeth. He tried his best to drink as much of it as he could. Maybe shotgunning the water pouch wasn’t his most rational decision as most of it was soaked into his clothes but that was the best damn water he’d ever drank in his life. He accepted the drink hungrily and did everything in his ability to get every last drop from the plastic-like pouch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was the best feeling, until all of the water reached his stomach. Suddenly, it weight a thousand pounds and punched Lance straight in the gut, forcing him to buckle over. He whispered a string of curses as he was taken down yet again. His hand smacked at the ground, hoping to find the bag the rations were held in. He ripped it free from under a sachet of food goo and brought himself to his knees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance blinked hard a couple times, trying to calm his nerves but couldn’t do so in time. He gagged hard a couple times, painful and unfulfilling as he kneeled over the bag in his hands. His body shook with each retch until he could feel the acid gurgle at the back of his throat. The feeling of vomiting was the one Lance hated the absolute most. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All of the water he had so desperately consumed was expelled as well as the acid that had boiled at the bottom of his stomach for days, searing hot. The fluid burned his sinuses as his vision blurred with tears. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It couldn’t stop</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Calling for any help was obviously useless, now he was truly alone. Nobody to cry to, no medics to save him, just space. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When all was said and done Lance weakly crawled over to the small air lock. He slammed at the ship’s door which groaned in response, opening up the little hatch . Lance dropped the bag out the door as the cold started to bite at his skin through the sleeve of his jacket, which was sullied when he used it to wipe his mouth. He frantically shut the door, sealing the air back into the pod as quickly as possible. He sat, defeated, on the floor feeling the rumble of the engine under him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This was only the first ten days.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twenty-five? Thirty? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Who fucking knows.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Several days out on his journey, the pod began to fail on Lance. He was only going half the speed, each measure of time growing achingly slow. He had to stay strapped in the Pilot’s seat after turning the gravity off to conserve the little fuel he had. Breathable air was scarce; Lance was a swimmer, and could hold his breath, but never as long as he did now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His lips were chapped to the point of bleeding, dried patches of red settled in the cracks, painful. Lance yearned for just a drop of his moisturizer back home, but hope waned even further. His hands grew shaky and his smooth steering became clumsy and reckless. Going back would be an impossible fantasy, yet the guilt began eating away at him like maggots. Terrors loomed behind his eyelids and his paranoia that the pod would end up on Galran radars set him in an eternal frenzy. He could barely stomach any of the expired food that he had left on him, considering eating whatever was left of his notebook instead. But, he was glued down into his chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance expected the engine to die. He knew it was coming, when it did, he accepted defeat, sure to die. Where he was in space was irrelevant, he was back to being a speck of cosmic dust, floating in the starry soup of space. Heat drained quickly and was replaced with a biting and bitter cold. One that he could feel in his bones. Each weak breath he puffed out formed an icy cloud in front of him. It was a sad reminder of winters back on Earth, something he didn’t expect to be longing for this much. His vision, now almost entirely dim and tunneled began to cease. He let his eyelids droop after giving their last fair fight. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This was it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was it until he felt a pull on his ship underneath the seat. A feeling of gravity that he had become unused to almost entirely. He became stuck to his chair as he was getting attracted by </span>
  <em>
    <span>something’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> orbit. Perhaps he was just debris getting sucked in by a Galra cruiser, that was his first initial reaction. Insult to injury he supposed. His face twitched around as he was falling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he decided to open his eyes he saw a sort of purple sky around him. He disregarded this as a hallucination, the final manifestation of his insanity. A weak smile tugged at his lips, thinking this was it and he was going to wake up inside some massive alien or in a grave.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then the pod hit solid ground. Lance was shaken in his seat as the pod crashed and burned into what he presumed to be ground. The trauma made him black out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you died?” Hunk inquired, looking up at Lance from the ground, the space mice doing flips on his chest plate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance glared down at the Yellow Paladin. “Hunk, honey, if I died then I wouldn’t be telling this story now would I.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got a point there.” The large man’s eyes shifted back to the circus of mice parading around. His hands entertained by the colorful rodents.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. Everyone in the room had stopped paying complete attention, except for Allura, who’s face held firm and her eyes sparkled with attentiveness. The droning of the castle’s engine replaced the dead silence before Lance resumed talking.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>See, I told y'all I wasn't going to leave this hanging pfft</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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